Celebrity Lifestyles: Melanie’s Turnovers!

Melanie Griffith’s Macadamia, Chocolate Chip, and Peanut Butter Mini-Turnovers

Macadamia nuts make the peanut butter filling in these turnovers unforgettable. It is a little like having a mini-candy bar wrapped in a puff pastry case. When you feel the urge coming on for these, there’s an easy solution: Prepare a full batch, then freeze some of them. They freeze beautifully, we are glad to say.

Makes 32 Mini-Turnovers
2 cups smooth peanut butter at room temperature
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup toasted and chopped macadamia nuts
2 sheets (one 17 1/4-ounce package) frozen puff pastry, thawed according to the package directions
1 egg, lightly beaten
confectioners’ sugar for garnish (optional)
mint sprigs for garnish (optional)
vanilla ice cream as an accompaniment

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a bowl, stir together the peanut butter, chocolate chips, and macadamia nuts until well combined. Work with 1 sheet of puff pastry at a time. Lightly flour a work surface. Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry on the surface and gently roll it out in all directions to thin it slightly. With a sharp knife, cut the sheets into quarters, then cut each quarter into quarters, making 16 pieces total. Center 1 teaspoon of the filling on each piece of pastry. Fold the pastry on the diagonal to form a triangle. Press the open edges of the pastry closed. (At this point the turnovers can be frozen. Arrange in layers, separated by sheets of waxed paper, in a freezer container.) Brush the top of the turnover with the beaten egg and place on a baking sheet. Make more mini-turnovers with the remaining ingredients in the same manner and brush with the beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes. If the turnovers are frozen, preheat the oven to 475°F. Bake the pastries on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to 400°F and bake for 15 minutes. Serve at once, dusted with confectioners’ sugar and garnished with a mint sprig, with the ice cream.

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